• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.894-898
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• 1994

To evaluate an effect of dietary protein on the liver damage, the bromobenzene was intraperitoneally injected to the rats fed a low or high protein diet and then the liver weight per body weight and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were determined to demonstrate the differences in liver damage between the groups fed low or high protein diet. Hepatic aniline hydroxylase (AH), glutthione (GSH) content and glutathione s-transferase(GST) activity were also determined to clarify causes of liver damage between the two groups. Increases of liver weight per body weight and serum ALT activities were higher in brombenzene treated rats fed low protein diet than those fed high protein diet. The increasing rate of hepatic AH activity was higher in bromobenzne-treated rats fed low protein diet than that in those fed high protein diet. Furthermore , hepatic glutathione contents and GST activities in bromobenzene-treated rats were higher in rats fed high protein diet than those fed low protein diet. In case of control group, the heaptic glutathione content and GST activity were also higher in rats fed high protein diet than those fed low protein diet.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.851-857
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• 2000

The activities of phase II and antioxidant enzymes in the liver, lung, kidney, stomach, and colon of mice were examined following intragastric application of polysaccharides extracted from soybeans fermented with either Agrocybe Cylindracea (AC) or Phellinus ignarius (PI). The intragastric application of the extracts to mice for 14 days significantly increased the activities of quinone reductase (QP) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the liver and kidney, glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver, kidney, lung, and stomach, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the liver, lung, and kidney. In general, the elevation of the phase II and antioxidant enzymes activities was more pronounced in the liver and kidney as compared to the lung, stomach, and colon. Accordingly, these finding suggest that polysaccharides extracted from soybeans fermented with A. cylindracea or P. igniarius have a cancer chemopreventive potential in various target organs.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.594-598
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• 1999

The Jun and Fos families of eukaryotic transcription factors form heterodimers capable of binding to their cognate DNA enhancer elements. We are interested in searching for inhibitors or antagonists of the binding of the Jun-Fos heterodimer to the activator protein-1 (AP-1) site. The basic-region leucine zipper (bZIP) domain of c-Fos was expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase, and allowed to form a heterodimer with the bZIP domain of c-Jun. The heterodimer was bound to glutathione-agarose, to which were added radiolabeled AP-1 nucleotides. After thorough washing, the gel-bound radioactivity was counted. The assay is faster than the coventional electrophoretic mobility shift assay because the gel electrophoresis step and the autoradiography step are eliminated. Moreover, the assay is very sensitive, allowing the detection of picomolar quantities of nucleotides, and is not affected by up to 50% dimethylsulfoxide, a solvent for hydrophobic inhibitors. Curcumin and dihydroguaiaretic acid, recently known inhibitors of Jun-Fos-DNA complex formation, were applied to this Jun-GST-fused Fos system and revealed to decrease the dimer-DNA binding.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.286-298
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• 1993

In order to investigate the effect of selenium (Se) on the liver damage, metallothionein synthesis and hepatic antioxidative detoxification system in cadmium(Cd) administered rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats(60\\5g) were divided into two diet groups, depending on with (CdS groups) or without (Cd groups) 0.5ppm Se supplementation and fed experimental diets ad libidum for 4 weeks. And then each group was again subdivided into five groups, depending on injection number of Cd, i.e., 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 times of 2.5mg Cd/kg of body wt once a day. Hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit values, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase activite were decreased progressively with increasing number of Cd injection, but increased by the supplementation of Se. The reduced form of glutathione (GSH) contents in blood and liver and vitamin E content were decreased and oxidized form (GSSG) increased in Cd groups, but these of Se supplemented groups were not very different from controls. Cd reduced liver vitamin E content which was not restored by Se supplementation. Liver lipid peroxide values were elevated with increasing doses of Cd, but Se supplementation reduced these elevated levels. Accumulation of metallothionein in liver and kidney was increased with increasing number of Cd injection, but Se did not affect on them. Histological examination revealed that lysosomes were significantly increased and mitochondria and Golgi apparatus were enlarged by Cd, however, these changes were reduced by Se. It was concluded that Se administration promoted antioxidative detoxification and alleviated peroxidative damage in rat liver by Cd.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.156-161
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• 2009

Rubus coreanus, commonly known as 'red raspberry' is used as a traditional oriental medicine in Korea for the management of diseases such as impotence, spermatorrhea and athsma, and for allergies, in combination with other herbal preparations, in many centuries. We undertook a comparison of the hepatoprotective effect of ethanol extracts of the unripe (UREx) and ripe (RREx) R. coreanus extract against acetaminophen (AAP) induced hepatotoxicity in rats. UREx reduced the elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TB), alkaline phosphatase (AP), lipid peroxide and nitric oxide content which had been increased by AAP administration. UREx also increased the cellular glutathione (GSH) content and induced the glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) content which had been decreased by AAP. RREx did not exhibit strong hepatoprotective effect or antioxidant activity under the same conditions. The experimental results show that the degree of the ripening of R. coreanus affects the hepatoprotective activity in the AAP-intoxicated rats. These findings of a protective mechanism are supportive evidence for the utility of unripened R. coreanus in traditional medicine for liver ailments.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2007

Metformin is a drug used to lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes via activation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether metformin at the pharmacologically effective concentrations affects the expressions of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase and phase II antioxidant genes in the H4IIE cell. Treatment of the cells with either metformin or 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICAR) abrogated tert-butylhydroxyquinone (t-BHQ) induction of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase, a rate limiting enzyme of GSH synthesis. The ability of t-BHQ to induce glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), a major class of phase II detoxifying enzymes that playa critical role in protecting cells from oxidative stress or electrophiles, was also inhibited by the agents. Transcriptional gene repression by metformin was verified by the GSTA2 promoter luciferase assay. Moreover, either metformin or AICAR treatment significantly decreased t-BHQ-dependent induction of other GSTs (i.e., $GST{\mu}$ and $GST{\pi}$ forms). Taken together, our data indicate that metformin treatment may result in the repression of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione S-transferase genes possibly via AMPK activation.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1007-1017
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• 1994

In order to investigate the effect of Korean green tea, oolong tea and black tea beverage on the antioxidative detoxification in cadmium(Cd) poisoned rat liver, male Sprague-Dawley rat weighing 143$\pm$3.2g were divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental groups were fed standard diet containing 40ppm Cd and were given distilled water(CD), 5% black tea(BT), oolong tea(OT) and green tea(GT), respectively. Tea beverages were extracted from 5G dry leaves of teas in 100ml hot distilled water by the treatment at 85$^{\circ}C$ for 3 min. Liver xanthine oxidase(XOD) activity was increased by the administration of Cd except GT group. Liver superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione peroxidase(GSH-px), glutathione S-transferase(GST) activities were decreased by te administration of Cd but did not decreased by the administration of green tea(in GT group). Vitamin E and reduced glutathione contents were significantly decreased in Cd administered groups. Liver lipid peroxide value in Cd administered groups were increased compared to control group, but was not increased in GT group. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(GOT) activities in CD, OT, BT groups were higher than control, but that in GT group was similar to control group. Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase(GPT) activity was not significantly different among various groups. It was concluded that green tea might alleviate peroxidative damage in Cd-administered rat liver by reinforcing antioxidative detoxification system.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.242-246
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• 2009

This study examined the anti-diabetic effect of onion (Allium cepa. Linn) in the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal rats fed control diet or supplemented with onion powder (7% w/w) and diabetic rats fed control diet or supplemented with onion powder. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of STZ (60 mg/kg, ip) in citrate buffer. The animals were fed each of the experimental diet for 5 weeks. Blood glucose levels of rats supplemented with onion were lower than those of rats fed control diet in the diabetic rats. Onion also decreased the total serum lipid, triglyceride, and atherogenic index and increased HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio in the diabetic rats. Glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase activities were high in the diabetic rats compared to normal rats and reverted to near-control values by onion. These results indicate that onion decreased blood glucose, serum lipid levels and reduced renal oxidative stress in STZ-induced diabetic rats and this effect might exert the anti-diabetic effect of onion.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2002

Recently, we reported (korean J. Biomed. Lab. Sci., 6(4): 245-251, 2000) that cyclohexane (l.56 g/kg of body wt., i.p.) administration led to lung injury in rats. However the detailed mechanism remain to be elucidated. This study was designed to clarify the mechanism of lung damage induced by cyclohexane in rats. First, lung damage was assessed by quantifying bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) protein content as well us by histopathological examination. Second, activities of serum xanthine oxidase (XO), pulmonary XO and oxygen free radical scavenging enzymes. XO tope conversion (O/D + O, %) ratio and content of reduced glutathione (GSH) were determined. In the histopathological findings, the vasodilation, local edema and hemorrhage were demonstrated in alveoli of lung. And vascular lumens filled with lipid droplets, increased macrophages in luminal margin and increased fibroblast-like interstitial cells in interstitial space were observed in electron micrographs. The introperitoneal treatment of cyclohexane dramatically increased BAL protein by 21-fold compared with control. Cyclohexane administration to rats led to a significant rise of serum and pulmonary XO activities and O/D + O ratio by 47%,30% and 24%, respectively, compared witれ control. Furthermore, activities of pulmonary oxygen free radical scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase, and GSH content were not found to be statistically different between control and cyclohexane-treated rats. These results indicate that intraperitoneal injection of cyclohexane to rats may induce the lipid embolism in pulmonary blood vessel and lead to the hypoxia with the ensuing of oxygen free radical generation, and which may be responsible for the pulmonary injury.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.33 no.4 s.131
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• pp.324-331
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• 2002

This study was performed to investigate the protective effect of Houttuynia cordata Thunb on hepatotoxicity in carbon tetrachloride$(CCI_4)$ intoxicated rats. The examined effects hexane, chloroform, butanol and water fractions prepared from the Houttuynia cordata Thunb methanol exlract and rats were administrated with those orally once a day for successive 6 days, fellowed by treaoent with $CCl_4$ on the sixth day. After 6 days, the activities of aminotransferase, alkalinephosphatase, ${\gamma}-glutamyl$ transpeptidase, lactate dehydrogenase and contents of triglyceride, hepatic lipid peroxide in butanol fraction pretreated rats were significantly decreased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats, also depletion glutathione content induced by treatment with $CCl_4$ was prevented by butanol fraction pretreated rats. In addition, activities of hepatic superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase in butanol fiaction pretreated rats were significantly decreased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats, but the activity of hepatic glutathione-S-transferase was not significantly effect. These results suggest that butanol fiuction of Houttuynia cordata Thunb methanol extract have potent hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rats.